I lärarutbildningen har det funnits möjlighet att tillägna sig olika tillvägagångssätt för hur undervisning i klassrummet planeras och struktureras. Detta har utvecklat ett starkt intresse hos mig för att söka vidare kring hur elever i koncentrationssvårigheter hanteras i klassrum. Inom området koncentrationssvårigheter och läsinlärning fattas det forskning. Därmed är området i behov av vidare forskning. Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka hur lärare i skolans tidigare år beskriver läsinlär- ning hos elever som bedöms vara i koncentrationssvårigheter. Detta gjordes genom semi- strukturerade intervjuer med sex lärare från tre olika skolor och intervjumaterialet analysera- des genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet visar att de lärare som blev intervjuade har en överensstämmande syn på elever i koncentrationssvårigheter. Lärarna anser att undervisningen bör vara strukturerad och väl planerad, men även att undervisningen bör variera inom det igenkända. Möjligheterna att dela på gruppen och att fler lärare arbetar tillsammans ses som mycket positivt. Men att nivåanpassa de texter som eleverna stöter på anses vara en utmaning. Studien visar att koncentrationssvårigheter påverkar läsinlärningen till viss del, men att andra faktorer kan påverka läsinlärningen. / In the teacher education, there has been the opportunity to adopt different approaches to how classroom teaching is planned and structured. This has, for me, developed a strong interest to investigate further how students in concentration difficulties are handled in classrooms. However, in the area of concentration difficulties and reading learning, research is scarce. Thus, the area is in need of further research. The purpose of this study is to investigate how teachers in the earlier years of the school describe reading learning among pupils who are considered to be in concentration difficulties. This was done through semi-structured interviews with six teachers from three different schools and the data was analyzed through a qualitative content analysis. The result shows that the teachers who were interviewed have a consistent view of pupils in concentration difficulties. The teachers believe that the teaching should be structured and well planned, but also that the teaching should vary within what is familiar to the pupils. The opportunities to divide the group of pupils and the fact that more teachers work together are seen as very positive. Adapting the level of texts that pupils encounter, though, is considered a challenge. The study shows that concentration difficulties affect reading learning partially, but that oth- er factors also affect reading learning.

It is not uncommon for math difficulties and reading difficulties to occur simultaneously. Despite this, math and reading difficulties are thought to have different cognitive profiles where math difficulties are linked to number sense; an innate ability to understand, approximate and manipulate both quantities and numerical information, whereas reading difficulties are linked to phonological ability; an innate ability to understand, create representations of and manipulate phonological information. A possible link between the difficulties is that phonological abilities also could affect mathematical ability. Support for this comes from studies where comorbid math and reading difficulties are associated with more severe difficulties in arithmetic ability compared to those with isolated math difficulties. The purpose of this study is to examine whether isolated math difficulties, isolated reading difficulties and comorbid math and reading difficulties can be linked to deficits in number sense, phonological ability or both of these, and whether comorbid math and reading difficulties differ in performance in mathematical tasks compared to isolated math difficulties for children in second grade. The study was carried out by testing 161 second grade children in arithmetic performance, reading performance, number sense and phonological ability. Based on performance in arithmetic and reading participants were divided into four groups: math difficulties (MD), reading difficulties (LD), comorbid math and reading difficulties (MD/LD) and control group. Statistical comparisons between groups were calculated by use of ANCOVAs, with non-verbal intelligence as covariate, and by independent t-test. Results gave partial support for the proposed core deficits for math and reading difficulties respectively, mainly concerning math difficulties and number sense deficits. The MD group performed significantly poorer in the non-symbolic number sense test.The group LD did not perform significantly poorer in respect to any task. The group MD/LD performed significantly poorer regarding subtraction, symbolic number sense tests and phonological awareness. Based on these results it can be discussed whether a link between number sense deficits and phonological awareness deficits may cause difficulty with learning and manipulating symbolic digit number. / Det är inte ovanligt att matematiksvårigheter förekommer tillsammans med lässvårigheter. Däremot förefaller matematiksvårigheter och lässvårigheter ha skilda kognitiva profiler där matematiksvårigheter kopplas till bristande number sense; en medfödd förmåga för att förstå, approximera och manipulera kvantiteter och numerisk information, medan lässvårigheter kopplas till bristande fonologisk förmåga; en medfödd förmåga att förstå, skapa representationer för och manipulera fonologisk information. En möjlig länk mellan svårigheterna är att fonologisk förmåga även kan påverka den matematiska förmågan. Stöd för detta har framkommit i studier där komorbida matematik- och lässvårigheter kopplats till mer uttalade matematiksvårigheter i jämförelse med isolerade matematiksvårigheter. Syftet med föreliggande studie är att undersöka huruvida isolerade matematiksvårigheter, isolerade lässvårigheter samt komorbida matematik- och lässvårigheter kan kopplas till bristande number sense, bristande fonologisk förmåga eller båda samt huruvida komorbida matematik- och lässvårigheter skiljer sig gentemot isolerade matematiksvårigheter gällande matematiksvårigheternas omfattning hos barn i andra klass. För att besvara syftet testades 161 barn i andra klass gällande aritmetisk färdighet, läsfärdighet, number sense och fonologisk förmåga. Efter sin prestation i matematik och läsningdelades deltagarna in i fyra grupper; matematiksvårigheter (MS), lässvårigheter (LS), komorbida matematik- och lässvårigheter (MS/LS) samt kontrollgrupp. Statistiska jämförelser beräknades mellan grupperna genom kovariansanalyser (ANCOVA), med icke-verbal intelligens som kovariat, samt genom oberoende t-test. Resultatet gav delvis stöd för den tänkta kärnproblematiken för matematiksvårigheter respektive lässvårigheter, främst gällande matematiksvårigheter och bristande number sense. Gruppen MS var signifikant sämre på ett icke-symboliskt number sense-test. Gruppen LS var inte signifikant sämre gällande något test. Gruppen MS/LS var signifikant sämre gällande subtraktion och symboliska number sense-test samt gällande fonologisk medvetenhet. Utifrån resultatet diskuteras huruvida en länk mellan bristande number sense och bristande fonologisk medvetenhet kan orsaka svårigheter med inlärning och hantering av symboliska siffertal.

I vilken grad ett barn är fonologiskt medvetet är i många fall avgörande för hur barnets läsinlärning kommer att fortlöpa, varför det är av stor vikt att redan tidigt arbeta för att stärka den fonologiska medvetenheten. En tillfredsställande läsförmåga är central för inlärningen även i andra skolämnen än svenska. Forskning har på senare tid visat att det finns ett tydligt samband mellan läs- och skrivsvårigheter och svårigheter i matematik. I denna studie undersöks huruvida det finns någon koppling mellan tidiga fonologiska svårigheter och matematiksvårigheter två år senare hos en grupp elever. Med kvantitativa metoder och genom analyser av bedömningar i olika diagnos- och kartläggningsmaterial har ett resultat kunnat presenteras som visar att majoriteten av de elever som i förskoleklassen uppvisade tecken på fonologiska svårigheter även hade matematiksvårigheter i år 2. Sambandet är dock inte entydigt, då det samtidigt påvisats att svårigheterna i matematik i år 2 var mer utbredda än väntat och långt ifrån alla dessa elever hade fonologiska svårigheter i förskoleklassen. / The degree to which a child is phonologically aware is in many cases crucial to the child's ability to learn how to read. Therefore it is vital, at a young age, to work towards strengthening the phonological awareness among young children. Satisfactory reading skills are central to learning in other school subjects besides reading and writing. Recent research has shown that there is a clear link between reading problems and difficulties in mathematics. This study examines whether there is any connection within a group of students between early phonological difficulties and difficulties in mathematics two years later. With quantitative methods, and through analysis of assessments of different diagnostic and mapping materials, results have been presented showing that the majority of the students in the preschool class that showed signs of phonological difficulties also had difficulties in mathematics in second grade. However, the relationship is not unambiguous, since the results also demonstrated that the difficulties in mathematics in second grade were more widespread than expected, and far from all of these students had phonological difficulties in the preschool class.

Research has previously highlighted the physical, social, affective and cognitive benefits of engagement in quality physical education (PE) (Bailey, 2006). Furthermore, practical, physical and expressive creative experiences in education have also been cited as being an important constituent when educating children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) (Cole and Visser, 1998). However, research has yet to address the experiences of the child with SEBD, as told by themselves, alongside the ideological benefits of their participation in physical education. As such, this study has examined how children and young people experience the National Curriculum of PE in England and Wales. Specifically working with those deemed by their school to have SEBD, this study aims to give voice to how participants create meaning of their PE experiences. A case study methodology was adopted whereby, after a period of piloting and familiarisation, two periods of twelve weeks were spent with six adolescent boys, each described by their schools as having SEBD. A range of participatory methods were used to elicit their perceptions of PE. Inductive processes of analysis generated outcomes which showed signs of the idiosyncratic nature of varying experiences and multiple truths. A number of themes emerged from the analysis of each case, aside to the contextualised responses of individuals. Participants spoke of their affinity towards the inherent practical nature of PE, which appeared to be forgiving of their desire for cathartic opportunities to participate physically. They regularly discussed their perception of PE being a subject allowing for relative freedoms not found elsewhere in their curricula. Narratives which described their experiences were also characterised by issues which focussed upon the non-educational aspects of the subject. The perceived pardon from the academic demands of school life, and the subsequent opportunities for socialisation with peers, were described as times which cemented the both positive and negative social systems at place in their classes. ii The case studies have resulted in the discussion of experiences which demonstrate the rich and highly individualised nature of children and young peoples‟ time in PE. The nature of their difficulties appeared to exacerbate and heighten the responses to participation which have been commonly reported in previous studies. Participants‟ time in PE was shown to be an example of the challenges that they face in their school lives more broadly. PE served to magnify both the positive and negative responses to education that were described as being experienced elsewhere in their curriculum subjects. This research has shown that, when adopting methodologies which privilege participatory methods, it is possible to gain greater depth of understanding as to how children with social emotional and behavioural difficulties experience physical education.

The awareness that people with Down syndrome are at risk of dementia at a younger age, even in their forties or fifties, brings to the fore a group previously excluded from research. Literature documents the experiences of people with Down syndrome and, separately, that of people with dementia. This includes knowledge of individual experiences through self-advocacy, inclusion in service development, policy and research, and the drive for a more person-centred way of providing support. We do not have the same knowledge about the experience of individuals who have both Down syndrome and dementia. Research literature suggests that people with Down syndrome are already marginalised before a diagnosis of dementia, due to society’s interpretation of their intellectual disability. The first quantitative stage of this longitudinal, mixed method study demonstrates the awareness of carers and actions taken post-diagnosis, highlighting the social exclusion experienced by people with Down syndrome. The second more substantive, qualitative stage considers factors that impact on the experience of individuals with Down syndrome and dementia. My observation identifies factors that highlight the process of further social and cultural marginalisation after a diagnosis of dementia. Findings are initially based on a thematic analysis of my transcribed data to develop case studies, followed by cross case analysis. Emerging issues from both stages of the research suggest commonality of experience in relation to the lack of a shared diagnosis, lack of recognition of sense of Self or identity, failure to recognise the importance of adapting communication to enable social interaction, a readiness to define a person by their situation rather than as an individual, and my observations of the impact of staff. I suggest that care and support for people with Down syndrome and dementia is at a crossroads, with an absence of shared learning between intellectual disability services and dementia services. I demonstrate how far I have been able to synthesise my approach to methodology and methods of data collection to enable the inclusion of a group previously excluded from research, incorporating both verbal and non-verbal exchanges as dementia progressed. Despite individuals with Down syndrome and dementia not being visible in service development and policy, it has been evidenced that their participation in research is not only possible, it is essential, as this group continues to enjoy a longer life expectancy that brings with it an associated risk of dementia.

Matematik anses vara ett av de viktigaste ämnena i den svenska skolan. Forskningen visar dock fallande resultat i matematikämnet och detta gäller särskilt elever med svenska som andraspråk. Syftet med studien är att undersöka vad de sämre resultaten hos dessa elever beror på samt hur läraren bör arbeta för att främja andraspråkselevers matematikutveckling. Fokus ligger på elever i grundskolan som har ett annat modersmål än svenska. Detta är en komparativ litteraturstudie som har genomförts genom noggrann analys och jämförelse av ett antal vetenskapliga artiklar, avhandlingar och forskningsrapporter. Det studerade materialet är både internationell och nationell forskning som inte är äldre än från år 1990. Det finns ett antal aspekter som är kritiska för andraspråkselever och som lärare måste ta hänsyn till i sin matematikundervisning. Aspekter som kan försvåra matematikinlärningen för andraspråkselever är språkliga svårigheter, skillnader i det matematiska språkets uppbyggnad och hur man räknar, en främmande kontext i matematikuppgifterna samt lärarens och elevernas inställning.

The poor outcomes of young people leaving foster care are well documented and demand a focus on placement permanency and interventions that encourage stability (Rubin et al, 2007). The need for better support for foster carers is widely acknowledged (Warman, Pallet & Scott, 2006; Morgan & Baron, 2011). To provide effective support an understanding of foster carers support needs is required. A qualitative approach explored the support needs of foster carers who look after young people perceived to have emotional and behavioural difficulties. Semi- structured interviews were undertaken with 17 foster carers employed by a local authority or an Independent Fostering Agency. A grounded theory methodology within a social constructionist framework was used to develop a new theoretical understanding from the data. A central storyline of ‘keeping your head above water’ emerged and appeared to encapsulate daily struggles and ways of managing. Categories which contributed to this were ‘becoming isolated’ from other professionals, ‘role ambiguity’ regarding the multiple meanings attached to being a foster carer, ‘making sense of emotional and behavioural difficulties’ highlighting a need to understand the children cared for, ‘a focus on behaviours’ illuminating approaches to parenting and ‘unmet emotional needs’ which is a possible consequence of focussing on children’s behaviours. The emergent theory may hold potential for developing psychological formulations, interventions and training programmes for foster carers. Suggestions for future support are put forward based on the new theoretical framework. Applications of the findings to Counselling Psychology are discussed in detail.

Background: When the patient is critically ill the family is in a vulnerable position. The nurse's role is to support and help the family to find meaning in the difficult situation and to provide realistic hope. Balancing between the patient's and the family's needs is difficult. Knowledge about how nurses experience difficulties in the interaction with family is required in order to grant good care too critically ill patients and their family-members. Aim: To describe nurses' perceived difficulties in the interaction with family-members of critically ill patients. Method: The study is a qualitative literature-based study based on qualitative research. Results: The analysis resulted in four main themes; difficult disunion, environmental constraints, interpersonal difficulties and communicative difficulties. Conflicts, disagreement and expectations in the interaction with family-members are difficult. There are environmental constraints in the form of family's presence, lack of space and time constraints. Nurses find it difficult to manage their emotions, family who get to close and to support the family. Information, comprehension, knowledge, language barriers and cultural differences represents communicative difficulties. Conclusion: There is a lack of knowledge among nurses about how to handle difficult situations where family is involved. Doctors and nurses need to collaborate more. Conflicts, disagreements and expectations can put severe pressure on the nurse. It is difficult for the nurse to strike a balance between being professional and being personal. Environmental constraints are an organizational problem which creates difficulties for the nurse in the interaction with family.

<p>Sammanfattning</p><p>I mitt examensarbete om dyskalkyli eller som det också kallas, specifika matematiksvårigheter vill jag visa på problematiken kring dessa inlärningssvårigheter, dels vill jag visa att det inte råder enighet bland forskare och andra professionella på ämnesområdet. Om verkligen dyskalkyli är en rimlig diagnos eller inte. Oenighet råder också om problemets omfattning samt vilka orsakerna är till att vissa elever får inlärningssvårigheter i matematikämnet. Jag drar även vissa paralleller och jämförelser med dyslexi eftersom denna diagnos är sedan länge accepterad och används utan ifrågasättande både i skolans värld och i resten av samhället.</p><p>För att kunna genomföra detta examensarbete så har jag ägnat mig åt litteraturstudier, Internetsökningar, idéutbyte med matematiklärare samt tillbakablickar på mina egna erfarenheter som lärarvikarie. Eftersom jag själv under min skoltid och som student på lärarutbildningen haft stora problem med delar av matematiken så har det varit extra intressant att försöka belysa problemet kring inlärningssvårigheter i matematik.</p><p>När jag studerat litteraturen så har jag funnit att två personer representerar skilda ståndpunkter angående matematiksvårigheter. Dessa personer är Björn Adler och Gunnar Sjöberg vilka båda två nog får anses vara två av landets ledande forskare på området. Deras åsikter går isär i många avseenden men även att de i vissa frågor är ganska överens. Vad jag också slås av är att Björn Adler verkar se problem kring matematiksvårigheter i ett ovanifrån perspektiv medan Gunnar Sjöberg som fortfarande verksam matematiklärare ser problemen mer ur elevperspektiv.</p><p>Nyckelord: Dyskalkyli, matematiksvårigheter, inlärningsproblem</p> / <p>Abstract</p><p>In my diploma paper on dyscalculia, or specific mathematics difficulties as it is also in known, I would like to highlight certain questions concerning these learning difficulties. I would like to show that there is no common view among researchers and professionals in the area on whether or not dyscalculia is a reasonable diagnosis. There is also no common view on the extent of the problem, nor what the reasons why some students get learning difficulties in mathematics are. I am also making some parallels and comparisons to dyslexia since the schools of today and the society in general have since a long time accepted this diagnose and use it without questioning.</p><p>In order to be able to undertake my thesis I have studied literature, done internet research, had exchange of ideas with math teachers and also made use of my own experiences as a substitute teacher. Because of my own difficulties with different areas in math, both during my years in compulsory school, high school and also as a university student, I have found a special interest in trying to highlight these questions concerning learning difficulties in mathematics.</p><p>When studying the literature I have found two persons that represent different position on mathematics difficulties; Björn Adler and Gunnar Sjöberg. Both may be regarded as two of the more prominent researchers in the area. Their opinion differs in many ways but also that they have some common views. I also found that Björn Adler seems to approach the mathematics difficulties from a different perspective than Gunnar Sjöberg who is still active as a math teacher and have the perspective from his pupils.</p><p>Keywords: Dyscalculia, mathematics difficulties, learning problems</p>

No description available.